Mail and coin holding device



HI I T E B B E T T S I MAIL AND CO! NNNNNNNNNNNNNN E.

- APPLICATWN LED IAN-18, 192l- 1,l9,1' 79, v PatentedJune 13, 1922.

MAIL AND COIN HOLDING- DEVICE.

Application filed January 18, 1921.

To all; whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY O. TEBBETTS, a citizen o'l the United States of America, residing at l/Vaterville, in the county of Kennebec and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail and Coin Holding Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for holding mail and coins to pay the postage on mail. It has for its object the production of a simple, inexpensive, and etlective device which may be placed in a mail box such as is used on rural free delivery routes, or in other places where it is desired to leave mail, and payment of the postage on mail, to be gathered by the mail collector.

A further object is the production of a device having spring means for holding letters, which will hold one piece of mail or a large number of pieces of mail, and also having a receptacle to hold one or more coins in a way that will prevent them from falling out and which at the same time willenable the mail collector to take the coins readily, without loss of time, and without removing his gloves in cold weather.

\Vith these and further objects in view, my invention will be described in the speci fication and defined in the claims.

One illustration of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank from which my invention is made;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the finished device, and

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

A blank 1 of suitable metal is bent to the form shown in Figure 3, which is generally that of a right-angled triangle in cross-section. The perpendicular back is designated Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1922,

Serial no. 438,083.

as 2, the base as 8, and the two spring members for holding mail as l and 5. The parts 6 and 7 form the side walls of a narrow receptacle for coins, the ends of which are closed by the fingers 8. This device may be attached to the inside of a mail box or other suitable place by a screw or nail, not shown, inserted either in the hole 9 or the hole 10.

Mail to be posted is placed between the spring jaws, where it will be held securely and in a convenient position to be taken therefrom by the mail collector. Enough coins to pay the postage on the mail held between the jaws may be placed in the receptacle below the jaws, from which it can be readily taken by the mail collector.

I claim:

1. A device of the kind described, said device being substantially triangular in crossscction, the base and the perpendicular of said triangular-shaped device being adapted for attachment to a flat surface, and the hypothenuse of said triangular-shaped device comprising spring actuated mail holding jaws and a coin receptacle.

2. A device of the kind described, comprising a back, said back carrying one jaw of a spring, and a base, said base carrying a coin receptacle and the other jaw of a spring,

said aws being adapted to hold mail.

3. A device of the kind described, comprising a back, said back carrying one jaw of aspring, and a base, said base carrying a coin receptacle and the other jaw of a spring, said jaws being adapted to hold mail, and said coin receptacle having parallel sides and closed ends, said sides being spaced sufliciently apart to hold securely coins of the United States.

In testimony whereof? I affix my signature.

HARRY O. TEBBETTSQ 

